Cultural appropriation as a major problem in the fashion industry.
Cultural appropriation is a long-standing and major problem in the western fashion industry. Elements of different cultures of the world are often used without referring to the "originators" of these very elements or even appreciating them in any way for the borrowed inspiration. Unfortunately, traditional techniques from the field of arts and crafts often only take place in a marginalised way in many countries and cannot achieve the reach of renowned fashion labels that have not made appreciative use of their techniques - thus the conflict of cultural appropriation arises.
Many renowned fashion houses have been accused of cultural appropriation over the past years and long legal disputes have not been spared, e.g. due to the unauthorised use of traditional design motifs from a country's cultural heritage. Admittedly, there is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. So it is certainly not easy for some fashion labels that have been referring to various international cultures for years as inspiration for the development of their collections not to unintentionally cross this fine line. And yet there are new ways for fashion labels to counteract this problem, for example by working together with the originators of a culture or commissioning them, by obtaining their consent to use cultural elements and/ or by donating a share of the proceeds to the community.
Good examples of these more appreciative ways are fashion labels like Filanda No.18, Limala or Zarif, which create more transparency in the communication of borrowed cultural elements and introduce the artisans they work with to give them more visibility. These labels strive for authentic partnerships in which sound knowledge is shared and creativity is fostered, thus contributing to the de-colonisation of the fashion industry.
"Cultural sustainability should always be taken into account by using and adapting cultural heritage only to the extent that future generations are not affected in their ability to understand and live the multiple meanings and values of this heritage."
Cen's contribution to cultural appreciation
cen. also aims to make an important contribution to cultural appreciation and awareness by integrating traditional craftsmanship into contemporary fashion. Through the following three approaches cen. wants to establish and share a new perspective on different international cultures and their cultural elements from the field of arts and crafts with the world:
Authentic stories
cen. strives for the greatest possible transparency and awareness of knowledge about cultures through authentic communication. In this context, the exchange with different representatives of a country-, region- or city-specific culture from the field of arts and crafts is indispensable in advance. This exchange should also lead to the identification of a co-creation partner and, related to this, a concrete cultural element such as a painting or embroidery technique, which should serve as a source of inspiration for the development of a collection. Jointly developed stories should reveal preserved, inherent knowledge about a cultural element in an appreciative way and contribute to the education of the recipients of the developing cen. community.
Co-Creation
Through co-creation, cen. strives for respectful and fair cooperation with local culture keepers (e.g. artists, craftsmen, cultural mediators, representatives of museums/ galleries/ libraries) of a craft in the development of small collection series. For this purpose, the lively exchange during the different stages of the product development process of individual accessories is very important and should contribute to a deeper understanding of a certain cultural heritage as well as promote collective creativity.
Cultural sustainability
By investing in cultural sustainability, cen. aims to preserve cultural heritage. If traditions are no longer kept alive, it will take a lot of time, patience and knowledge to bring them back. The use of the latest technologies, such as 3D printing, is also an option for preserving and redefining traditional craft techniques. However, the principle of cultural sustainability (Pereira 2007) should always be taken into account by using and adapting cultural heritage only to the extent that future generations are not affected in their ability to understand and live the multiple meanings and values of this heritage.
Cultural appreciation is a matter close to the heart of the sustainable couture accessories label cen. and also represents its raison d'être.
by Viktoria Heinzel
references:
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